The Secret Lives of Hobbits
by Estella Brandybuck
Summary: What are Hobbits really like when no one is looking? I did this story on a dare; I love Merry, so no offense meant.
1. Introduction

The Secret Lives of Hobbits: Introduction  
  
Outside it was a beautiful spring evening, flower blossoms reflected against the midnight-blue sky. Inside the inn, it wasn't as nice, but it was a friendly atmosphere, with friends, drinking, and talking, sometimes the Hobbits there would seeming abruptly break into song, and there was almost always was laughter to be heard, floating out into the night.  
  
In a trash-filled courtyard behind the inn, however, the scene was quite different. Tweenage Hobbit lass rested against the dirty back wall of the inn. Her clothes were torn and dirty. Her face was gaudily painted in outlandish colors, a base of white shining beneath. Her bodice was partially undone to reveal a good measure of cleavage, also smudged with white. Her curls were piled atop her head and her skirts were stained. She leaned against the cold bricks, a crooked smile just barely crossing her lips. 


	2. Payment First

Payment First  
  
"You're pathetic," she spat.  
  
"I-."  
  
"I'll never speak to you again!"  
  
"But-." SLAM The door shut in Merry's face. He let the small bouquet of wildflowers he had been holding fall to the ground. I need to get drunk Numb, he stumbled down the road to the nearest inn.  
  
Hours later, Merry lifted his head from the bar, surrounded by empty tankards. His head hurt, but luckily he remembered nothing of his fight with Estella. He also remembered nothing of how he had gotten there. He walked outside, behind the inn to get some fresh air and try to clear his head.  
  
"Only a shilling," a voice said from the other end of the courtyard, "Only a shilling for a few minutes with me." He turned and looked upon the Hobbit who spoke. He was no fool; he knew her for the whore she was. He was not usually the type of Hobbit who went for that sort of thing, but the drink had clouded his mind and slowly, he ambled over.  
  
"Payment first." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a shilling, depositing it in her grubby hand. Then he began to unlace his then-tight breeches. He lifted her skirts and gripped her waist, drawing closer and letting the soft flesh envelope his.  
  
Merry woke up stiff with first light creeping over the horizon. He stood and looked around him, wondering how he came to be in a courtyard littered with trash. Then the previous days events seemed to wash over him. He didn't remember anything after meeting the prostitute; he must have fallen asleep. How could I have done such a thing?  
  
"Oh, Estella," he sighed aloud. Estella? What will I tell Estella? He had begun to walk up the road, going faster by the second. She'll never speak to me a- she'll never speak to me anyway. He collapsed in despair by the side of the road. 


	3. Get Out of My Sight

Get Out of My Sight  
  
It had been a slow week. She only had three shillings to show for standing out there on those long nights behind the inn. She didn't know just what she was going to tell her boss. As if summoned, a well dressed Hobbit swaggered out from the shadows with a smile on his face.  
  
"Mistress Bracegirdle," he addressed her in a sickly sweet tone, "how much did we make this week? You brought in more this time I presume?" She didn't speak.  
  
"Well how much was it you filthy slut?" he roared.  
  
"T- three shillings, Master Boffin."  
  
"Three shillings? Three shillings?" he slapped her hard across the face, "You had better do better than that, Ariella, or you know what will happen." He snatched the moneybag she proffered.  
  
"Get out of my sight; you make me sick." She hurried away, clutching the side of her face and her trying to stem the flow of blood from her nose as she set off alone into the dark. 


	4. Nightmare

A/N: Don't you just hate authors that don't update for months without warning? wink  
  
Nightmare  
  
"Merry?" asked Pippin, shaking him by the arm. "What's the matter?" Merry groaned and opened his eyes.  
  
"Pip?"  
  
"Let's go, Merry, we need to get you up- what if somebody else had found you and not me?"  
  
"Oh, you mean like someone important?" asked Merry, jokingly, using Pippin as a support to help him stand. "Precisely." Merry burst out laughing. "Well, you see, what I meant was..."  
  
"Never mind, Pippin."  
  
"So, where shall I take you, Crickhollow?"  
  
"Estella's there."  
  
"Well I can't take you to Brandy Hall looking like this." Merry cringed.  
  
"Alright, better make it Crickhollow, then."  
  
It was not far to Crickhollow; a hobbit in reasonable condition could have made it there in about twenty minutes. But Merry was not in reasonable condition, so it took the two almost an hour to reach it.  
  
Meanwhile, Estella was beating all her energy into the poor piece of dough she was kneading for biscuits. How could he do that to her? She wondered. How could he kiss another lass, while he was courting her?  
  
At that moment, the door opened.  
  
"Hello, Estella," said Merry weakly.  
  
"How dare you come here!" shouted Estella. "After you...you..." She burst into tears.  
  
"Estella, Estella! It was a misunderstanding; it's a custom at weddings in the North Farthing for the male witness and the female witness to share a kiss. Please believe me!" he pleaded, lying through his teeth; it had been a drunken dare, but he couldn't tell Estella that.  
  
"Is that true, Pippin?" Pippin glanced at Merry and then hastily nodded.  
  
"Oh, Merry, I'm so sorry!" Estella exclaimed, rushing over to him. "I should have believed you." Merry smiled, guiltily and took her in his arms.  
  
"It's alright, Estella, you couldn't have known."  
  
"No, I was being unreasonable."  
  
She pulled away from him and then, as if seeing him for the first time said, he looked a wreck and sat him down to make him some tea. Pippin sat down also.  
  
The tea was ready quickly, but the biscuits took longer.  
  
"When are the biscuit's going to be ready?" asked Pippin.  
  
"Not, yet." Finally they were ready and the three sat down to eat.  
  
"So," inquired Pippin between bites of his biscuit and jam, "where's Fatty?"  
  
"Market," answered Estella. The two had been staying at Crickhollow with Merry and Pippin since their return, for the ruffians had destroyed their home.  
  
That evening, Merry and Estella sat talking on the porch. Merry felt guilty, that he had lied to her, but could only hope that one day he could tell her the truth and she would forgive him. Estella was calm and happy, sitting there as day turned to dusk and as dusk turned to night.  
  
"Merry, I love you," she said.  
  
"I love you too, my dear Estella," he replied kissing her. For a long moment they sat in silence. Then Estella stood, saying something about being cold and that she was going inside to bed. Merry nodded and followed soon after, falling into bed and reaching sleep almost immediately.  
  
Then he was sitting with Estella in the garden and laughing, happy, the sun shining down upon them, Her rays like honey on the fragrant blooms around them. Estella giggled and kissed his cheek. The sky darkened then, and Estella's happy face morphed before his eyes into that of Eowyn and he was facing the Witch-King again. But it wasn't the Witch-King- it had the face of the prostitute from the alley. And he couldn't kill it, instead he gave it a coin and embraced it, while Eowyn, became Estella, and looked on in tears.  
  
He woke with a start, sweat dripping down his face. He couldn't sleep now, he willed himself to stay awake, pinching his wrist whenever he started to doze. But it couldn't work forever and soon he was sleeping again and revisiting his nightmares. 


	5. To Market

A/N: I love reviews more than life itself! On second thought, maybe not that much, but I do like them a lot.  
  
To Market  
  
Ariella sat everyday in the market near the inn, keeping her face concealed, hoping for a glimpse of the tall, handsome, stranger from that night behind the inn. She could tell he was drunk then, but still wanted, somehow, just to see him again.  
  
She didn't have long to wait; two days later he strode into market. She just stood in the lane and stared at him- he was even more handsome than she had remembered. Then –umff- he ran right into her.  
  
"I'm sorry, miss," he said, grinning despite himself.  
  
"No, it's alright," she managed to stutter- how had she ever been so bold before? She wondered.  
  
Another week passed. He came again. She stood to get a better look. He was not alone; a giggling lass was on his arm.  
  
"Excuse me, mister," she asked, nudging a shopkeeper to turn around, "but who is that hobbit over there?" She extended her finger to point to him.  
  
"Why that's Meriadoc Brandybuck. He's the future Master of Buckland."  
  
"And who's that lass with him?"  
  
"That should be Estella Bolger- I don't know her by face, but they're to be married before the week is out."  
  
"Do you know on what day?"  
  
"I'm afraid I don't know, exactly. You might try asking up at the Hall."  
  
"Thank you." She flashed him a smile and walked on her way. He couldn't marry that lass- he just couldn't. She burst into tears- she didn't know what she had been thinking; a smile doesn't guarantee someone will- A loud sob escaped her- he had been her only chance- now she'd have to live like this forever.  
  
Somehow, in the time she had sat there, crying, she had managed to convince herself that she could still somehow convince Meriadoc to marry her, and not this stupid, simpering, frail little lass that seemed a permanent fixture on his arm. Determinedly, she walked up to the hall.  
  
"Excuse me," she asked a tiny lad. "What day is Meriadoc Brandybuck's wedding?"  
  
"Cousin Merry's marrying Estella the day after tomorrow. She's nice." The child smiled a gap-toothed smile and ran off. Great, she thought, that stupid lass is "nice." But Merry, that must be what they call him. It has a nice ring to it- Merry Brandybuck. Ariella Brandybuck sounds good too, she added in her head, smiling. 


End file.
